I think I've been remiss in failing to properly recognize McConnell's malevolent role in all of this. Ryan's too. They knew what was happening. They understood that a foreign adversary was interfering in the election on behalf of their candidate and they threatened anyone who tried to sound the alarm.

It's bad enough that Republican leaders, like everyone except their celebrity dazzled base, knew that Trump was a narcissistic imbecile. But they also knew he was was compromised in ways that put the entire country --- and the world --- in danger. They didn't care.

Mitch McConnell is a traitor. Perhaps not in any legal sense, but in a moral sense he certainly is.